A.I. Boulahbal, S.A. Korili, A. Gil
Carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon capture and utilization (CCU) encompass a broad range of strategies and technologies aimed at mitigating CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. These approaches typically involve the capture, concentration, pressurization, and injection of CO2 from industrial facilities into deep geological formations. However, given the current limitations in sequestration capacity, chemical recycling of carbon through conversion is gaining attention as a more sustainable and economically viable alternative. This innovative approach transforms captured greenhouse gases into valuable products through specific catalytic processes designed for the synthesis of clean fuels, such as methanol and dimethyl ether, as well as key compounds such as urea, carbonates, and formic acid. Among the various technologies employed for CO2 conversion – including electrocatalysis, photocatalysis, thermal catalysis, and hydrogenation – layered double hydroxides (LDHs) have attracted growing interest given their intrinsic CO2 retention and transformation properties, ease of synthesis, and potential to be produced from industrial waste. Recent studies have highlighted the tunable properties of LDHs, which make them particularly suitable for applications in CO2 valorization. However, there are still challenges to overcome in using these materials, such as: improving their chemical and thermal stability, increasing the adsorption rate and cyclic stability, as well as developing green, cheap, simple and efficient LDHs with a view to scalability and industrial production. This review provides a critical overview of synthetic methods for LDHs, with special emphasis on routes based on industrial waste, and examines the catalytic processes through which CO₂ can be transformed into valuable resources.